Nebraska Transport Company

Nebraska Transport Company Deploys Zonar Smart Fleet Technology for ELD Readiness, GPS Tracking and Best Practices in Preventative Maintenance

Nebraska Transport Company (NTC), the premier Midwest regional LTL carrier with nationwide capabilities was looking to keep its foothold as a leading regional LTL carrier. To do so, the company was going to innovate its operations. This initiative meant embracing technology that could improve compliance and maintenance while preparing it for the future with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is (FMCSA) Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Mandate set to go into effect on December 18th, 2017.

NTC looked at several telematics providers, but after a thorough evaluation, the company chose Zonar. "What sold me on Zonar is that they have everything in house. From electronic inspections to GPS tracking, to detailed reporting," said Josh Lacy, Director of Operations at NTC. "Zonar provides an integrated hardware and software platform. And there is not cellular plan on the side that we would have to manage."

Zonar's 2020® tablet preloaded with Zonar Logs® hours-of-service (HOS) application has helped NTC and its drivers track their hours-of-service (HOS) and submit timely and accurate reports. The HOS feature is an ELD self-certified application and is also a fully compliant AOBRD solution, best preparing NTC to comply with the ELD mandate that requires electronically tracking HOS logs.

The 2020 solution provides more than just compliance, it also gives NTC Electronic Verified Inspection Reporting (EVIR®), a pre- and post-trip inspection tool that helps it maintain its CSA scores by ensuring that the company’s trucks are operating efficiently and safely. Until 2015, NTC’s drivers conducted pre- and post- trip inspections on daily motor vehicle forms, or on the back of the driver’s daily log, depending on the driver’s job that day. With EVIR, NTC drivers have a tool to conduct consistent and verifiable vehicle inspections and electronically submit inspection reports that are understandable, legible and complete. However, moving the entire fleet from old paper-based systems to software and in-cab tablet computers required buy-in from drivers and fleet managers. But with a collective focus on safety and having an easily usable and manageable solution, NTC and its drivers embraced the Zonar solution to ensure its fleet is safe and in compliance with DOT regulations.

In addition to the 2020, NTC has implemented the V3 from Zonar for telematics. The V3 features, HD GPS, real-time remote vehicle diagnostics for improving vehicle uptime and maintenance operations. Fault code data from NTC trucks instantly delivered to fleet managers and dispatchers, often before the driver is aware of the problem. Alerted to a truck’s condition, NTC can schedule shop time and maintenance resources in advance to reduce vehicle downtime. All performance and diagnostic information are available through Zonar’s web-based Ground Traffic Control web portal. Before the implementation of its Zonar solution, NTC’s maintenance department only had visibility into defects and repairs that required the shop’s attention.

With Zonar the maintenance department has gained visibility into the health of its entire fleet.

In a trucking landscape that often seems tilted toward large players, smaller companies need to be innovative to survive and thrive. Increasingly, that means turning to new technology and partnerships to offer shipper customers services that make smaller carriers like NTC more competitive.